Norm Coleman

Coleman Wants Campaign To Pay Cost Of Responding To TPM Story -- Even Though It Never Responded

Zachary Roth | May 12, 2009, 2:22PM

Now this is some chutzpah...

Norm Coleman is arguing that he should be able to use campaign funds to pay his legal bills in connection with the Nasser Kazeminy allegations, citing the need to respond to inquiries on the subject from TPMmuckraker and others in the media. But we're kind of unclear about what expenses the Coleman camp incurred here -- because they never responded to us in the first place.

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Norm Coleman

Coleman Again Won't Say Whether He's Heard From Feds On Kazeminy Probe

Zachary Roth | April 17, 2009, 11:21AM

Losing his Senate seat may be the least of Norm Coleman's worries.

It's looking more and more like the former Minnesota senator has heard from federal investigators who are investigating the Nasser Kazeminy allegations.

Asked by the Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial board whether he had been contacted with the FBI in connection with the probe, Coleman refused to say, instead pivoting to attack the paper:

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Norm Coleman

Coleman Wants To Use Campaign Money For Legal Fees

Zachary Roth | December 17, 2008, 11:35AM

How can Norm Coleman afford the services of Doug Kelley, the high-profile attorney he just hired on connection with the allegations in the Nasser Kazeminy lawsuit? After all, as Kazeminy himself is alleged to have said: "US senators don't make shit."

The answer: he plans to use campaign funds.

"We intend to have any legal fees related to what we believe to be a politically inspired legal action to be covered by the senator's campaign," said Coleman spokesman Luke Friedrich, Politico reports.

The FEC allows politicians to use campaign funds only if their legal bills arise from their official duties or their campaigns. Coleman, a Minnesota GOP senator, has claimed that suit only came to light because of his reelection fight, in which he is currently locked in a recount with Democrat Al Franken -- though many of the allegations pre-date the campaign.

The lawsuit claims that Kazeminy, a friend and supporter of Coleman, used a company he owns, Deep Marine Technologies, to pass money to the senator by making payments to the insurance broker, Hays Insurance, that employs Laurie Coleman, Norm's wife.

Norm Coleman

Lawyer For Coleman's Wife Is "Aggressive Defender of Celebrity Defendants"

Zachary Roth | December 16, 2008, 5:09PM

We told you earlier today that Norm and Laurie Coleman have hired separate lawyers in connection with the FBI investigation into the Nasser Kazeminy allegations.

And here's a bit more evidence that the pair are taking the allegations very seriously indeed:

According to a recent St. Paul Pioneer-Press report (via Nexis), Laurie Coleman's attorney, Earl Gray, is "known as an aggressive defender of celebrity defendants." In other words, Gray doesn't appear to be the kind of lawyer you hire if you don't think you're going to be under much scrutiny.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the high-profile cases Gray has been retained for (all sourced to news reports found via Nexis):

- the "Love Boat" case, in which then-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper, was charged with sexual misconduct stemming from his conduct during a 2005 team boat ride.

- a case earlier this year involving star University of Minnesota football player Dominic Jones, who was accused of rape, and eventually convicted of unwanted sexual conduct, in an incident captured on a cellphone video.

- a city council member who pleaded guilty last month to hiring a prostitute.

- a teacher accused this year of having sex with a 14-year-old student.

- a widely publicized 1984 child-sex ring case.

And despite his name, Earl Gray may not be every prosecutor's cup of tea (sorry!). The Star-Tribune described him in 2006 as "a street-fighter in the courtroom whose aggressive, even abrasive legal tactics can leave prosecutors bruised and bitter."

The paper added:

'He aggressively attacks police and prosecutors for perceived mistakes in a criminal investigation,' said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom ... 'He is very good at creating smoke screens out of nothing.' Fred Karasov, an assistant Hennepin County attorney who has successfully tried cases against Gray, said he 'can be intimidating, aggressive, some would call him abrasive.'

Laurie Coleman is central to the allegations involving her husband. A lawsuit claims that Kazeminy used a company he owns, Deep Marine Technologies, to pass money to Norm Coleman, by making payments to the insurance broker, Hays Insurance, that employs Laurie Coleman.

And we hear that Norm Coleman's lawyer, Doug Kelley, is no wilting flower either. More to come on him, most likely...

Nasser Kazeminy

Separate Lawyers For Norm And Laurie Coleman

Zachary Roth | December 16, 2008, 11:05AM

So Norm Coleman has hired a lawyer in connection with the claims made in the lawsuit against his longtime supporter Nasser Kazeminy. And so has Coleman's wife, Laurie.

But notice that the Colemans hired separate lawyers. That suggests that, perhaps prompted by the news that the FBI is now involved, the Minnesota senator and his wife are taking these allegations very seriously indeed.

Laurie Coleman is central to the allegations involving her husband. The lawsuit claims that Kazeminy used a company he owns, Deep Marine Technologies, to pass money to Norm Coleman, by making payments to the insurance broker, Hays Insurance, that employs Laurie Coleman.

The hiring of separate lawyers could also mean that the Colemans' interests in the case diverge. But we'll have to wait to see how this plays out before drawing any firmer conclusions...

Norm Coleman

Coleman Lawyers Up

Zachary Roth | December 16, 2008, 9:33AM

More signs that Norm Coleman is taking the allegations in the Nasser Kazeminy lawsuit very, very seriously.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that all four of the principals in the alleged scheme to pass money to Coleman -- Kazeminy, Coleman, his wife Laurie Coleman, and Jim Hays of Hays Insurance -- have hired high-powered Minnesota lawyers.

The Strib runs down the details:

Norm Coleman has hired Doug Kelley, Laurie Coleman is represented by Earl Gray, Hays is aligned with Doug Peterson and Kazeminy has secured the services of Joe Friedberg.

Kelley, Gray and Peterson are former federal prosecutors now engaged in criminal defense and white-collar litigation. For years they have been mainstays in the federal judicial system in Minnesota, working cases ranging from fraud to drugs to homicide.

In the past, Friedberg has been the attorney representing Winthrop & Weinstine law firm in Minneapolis, which once employed Coleman and currently claims Kazeminy as a client.

The paper adds:

[T]he attorneys have retained a Twin Cities-based private investigations company composed of former FBI agents to gather information about the case, according to two people with knowledge of the developments.

Last week it was reported that the FBI had launched an investigation into the allegations in the lawsuit, which revolve around charges that Kazeminy, a longtime friend and supporter of Coleman, tried to pass money to the senator by having a Kazeminy-owned company, Deep Marine Technologies, make payments to Hays Insurance, which employed Laurie Coleman. The lawsuit was filed by Paul McKim, the former CEO of Deep Marine.

FBI

Report: FBI Probing Charges In Kazeminy/Coleman Suit

Zachary Roth | December 10, 2008, 9:12AM

The FBI is looking into the allegations against Nasser Kazeminy, a close friend and supporter of Minnesota senator Norm Coleman, reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

The paper reports: "Agents with the FBI have talked to or made efforts to talk to people in Texas familiar with the allegations, according to a source familiar with the situation."

The lawsuit, filed by the former CEO of a company owned by Kazeminy, alleges, among other things, that Kazeminy tried to use the company, Deep Marine Technologies, to pass money to Coleman via an insurance company that employed the senator's wife.

Coleman's campaign, which is in the midst of a recount against Democrat Al Franken to decide the fate of Coleman's seat, released the following statement last night:

"We are not aware of any investigation that is under way, nor have we been contacted by any agency with respect to this matter. As we have said repeatedly, we welcome any investigation of these lawsuits by the appropriate authorities to get to the bottom of these baseless, sleazy and politically inspired allegations.

That denial -- which Coleman's Senate office had declined to offer to TPMmuckraker despite repeated calls -- would appear to rule out the possibility of Coleman having been contacted by Senate ethics investigators, though there may be wiggle room in the wording. A Minnesota good government group last month called on both the FBI and the Senate to launch probes.

The FBI, contacted by the Pioneer-Press, did not confirm or deny the existence of the investigation.

Norm Coleman

Coleman's Office Won't Say Whether He's Under Investigation In Kazeminy Case

Zachary Roth | December 5, 2008, 3:32PM

Is Norm Coleman under investigation in connection with the claims made in a lawsuit alleging that a longtime supporter, Nasser Kazeminy, used an insurance company that employs Coleman's wife to illegally pass money to Coleman?

Could be...

Last month, a Minnesota good-government group sent letters to the FBI and the Senate ethics committee, calling on both to investigate the charges. Coleman quickly responded by declaring in a statement:

I not only welcome such an investigation, but I am eager to have it move forward immediately.

That forthright response made us wonder whether Coleman -- who currently is locked in a knife-edge recount with Democrat Al Franken to hold onto his Senate seat -- might already have been contacted by investigators, and was trying to get out ahead of the news by appearing to welcome a probe.

Both the FBI and the ethics committee have declined to provide any information about whether they're looking into Coleman.

So we've been calling Coleman's office to ask whether he's heard from investigators. In fact, in the last few weeks, we've left at least ten detailed voicemail messages for Leroy Coleman, the senator's Washington press secretary (and no relation) asking exactly that question. And we've received no response whatsoever.

Which is sort of curious. You'd assume that, had Coleman not been contacted, his press secretary would take 30 seconds to call us back and tell us that.

Draw your own conclusions...

Norm Coleman

Coleman's NRSC Decision Benefits Ethics Chair -- Who Could Head Coleman Probe

Zachary Roth | November 14, 2008, 5:21PM

A good catch by The Huffington Post yesterday, in response to the news that Norm Coleman is dropping out of the race for chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) to focus on the Minnesota recount -- and is throwing his support behind John Cornyn, who will almost certainly now win the post.

HuffPo notes that Cornyn, of Texas, is also currently the GOP chair of the Senate Ethics Committee - the body that could well investigate whether Coleman accepted gifts from his longtime supporter Nasser Kazeminy.

Earlier this week, the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a good-government group that ran anti-Coleman ads during the election, publicly called on the Ethics Committee, as well as the FBI, to look into sworn allegations, made in a lawsuit, that Kazeminy passed $75,000 to Coleman by having one of Kazeminy's companies make payments to an insurance brokerage that employs Laurie Coleman, the senator's wife.

So Coleman's decision to drop out of the NRSC race directly benefits one of the people who will have the most influence over the direction of any investigation by the Ethics Committee.

Coleman's Senate office has not responded to numerous requests from TPMmuckraker to comment on whether he has already been contacted by investigators.

But there's another wrinkle beyond HuffPo's catch: But for the GOP chair of the supposedly non-partisan Ethics Commitee to also serve as head of the NRSC -- an explicitly political post -- might appear to present a conflict of interest.

Cornyn's office did not immediately respond to a call from TPMmuckraker asking whether Cornyn intended to serve in both roles at once.

Norm Coleman

Taking Stock Of The Coleman-Kazeminy Charges

Zachary Roth | November 13, 2008, 1:46PM

As Norm Coleman gets set for a recount in his bid to hold onto his Minnesota Senate seat, it's worth considering where things stand on the allegations that surfaced in the waning days of the campaign about Coleman's relationship with his friend and longtime associate, the businessman Nasser Kazeminy.

Here's what we know:

Late last month, in a suit filed in Texas, Paul McKim, the former CEO of Deep Marine Technologies (DMT), alleged in a sworn statement that Kazeminy -- who owns DMT -- directed him to make payments totaling $75,000 to the Hays Companies, a Minnesota insurance brokerage that employs Coleman's wife Laurie Coleman. The payments, claimed McKim in the suit, were not for legitimate work performed by Hays for DMT, but rather were a way for Kazeminy to funnel money to Coleman.

Soon afterwards, a group of DMT investors filed a separate suit naming both Kazeminy and McKim as defendants, and making similar allegations.

Since news of the suits surfaced in late October, none of the principals has offered responses that have put the matter to rest.

Coleman has vehemently denied the charges, and even cut a last-minute TV ad suggesting, with little evidence, that the campaign of his opponent, Democrat Al Franken, was behind them. And yesterday, when a progressive Minnesota watchdog group that ran ads attacking Coleman during the campaign held a press conference at which it called for investigations by the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee into the matter, Coleman quickly said in a statement that he would welcome such probes, and that he wanted them to start "immediately." (Coleman's Senate office did not immediately respond to a detailed message from TPMmuckraker asking whether he has already been contacted by investigators.)

But neither Norm Coleman nor Laurie Coleman have offered details on the nature of her work for Hays.

Neither has Hays. Soon after news of the allegations broke, the company put out a statement calling the charges "libelous and defamatory." It said that Laurie Coleman "has been an Independent Contractor for Hays Companies since 2006," but offered no further detail on what she does for the company, beyond saying that she "receives no compensation related to the services we provide for our client Deep Marine Technology."

What are those services? Again, the statement was vague, saying only: "In the first half of 2007, we were retained to provide our risk management consulting services, and that work continues at this time."

As for Kazeminy, after initially remaning silent, he eventually hired a top Minneapolis-based crisis management expert, who late last week issued a tautological denial on his behalf: "Mr. Kazeminy vehemently denies the false and baseless claims made against him in recent weeks."

It's also worth noting that Norm Coleman and the Hays Companies may not have been on the same page about the arrangement between the firm and Laurie Coleman - a former model and actress who, according to state records examined by TPMmuckraker, only received her insurance license in October 2006. As we reported earlier this week, Norm Coleman wrote on his Senate disclosure forms for 2006 and 2007 that Laurie Coleman receives a salary from Hays - which would appear to contradict Hays' assertion that she's an independent contractor.

And according to FEC records examined by TPMmuckraker, Hays has been a frequent financial contributor to Coleman's Senate campaigns.

We may have to wait for possible law-enforcement or congressional investigations to get to the truth about Coleman's role in the alleged scheme. But it's certain that, barring any compelling explanations from any of the principals said to be involved, questions about the affair won't be going away any time soon.

Norm Coleman

Good Government Group Calls On FBI, Senate, To Probe Coleman

Zachary Roth | November 12, 2008, 12:19PM

A Minnesota good government group that works with Democrats and progressives has called on both the Senate Ethics Committee and the local FBI office to investigate allegations that GOP senator Norm Coleman accepted $75,000 in gifts from a friend and supporter.

Alliance for a Better Minnesota (ABM) is also circulating a petition to demonstrate public support for the desired probes. It will release letters to the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee at a press conference this afternoon at the state capitol.

The claims against Coleman were made in a lawsuit filed last month against Nasser Kazeminy, a close associate of the senator. The suit, filed by the former CEO of the Kazeminy-owned Deep Marine Technology, alleges that Kazeminy passed money to Coleman's wife, Laurie Coleman, by ordering Deep Marine to make payments to the Hays Companies, an insurance broker that employed her. Kazeminy and Coleman have denied the claims, and Coleman has not been formally charged with any wrong-doing.

A press release announcing Alliance for a Better Minnesota's effort was forwarded to TPMmuckraker by the communications office of Minnesota's Democratic party.

Coleman faces a recount in his high-profile Senate re-election fight against Democrat Al Franken.

Late update: Here are the letters sent by ABM to the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee.

And here's a response from Coleman to ABM's move.

Norm Coleman

Coleman, Hays, Appear To Differ on Wife's Employment Status

Zachary Roth | November 10, 2008, 4:27PM

One of the key questions in the lawsuit filed against Nasser Kazeminy, a close friend and supporter of Minnesota Republican senator Norm Coleman, relates to the nature of the work done by Coleman's wife Laurie for the Hays Companies.

And on that score, there seems to be a noteworthy amount of confusion among the principles.

Let's back up. The suit, filed late last month in Texas by the former CEO of Deep Marine Technologies, alleges in part that Kazeminy set up a scheme to pass money from DMT, which he owns, to Coleman, through the Hays Companies, a Minneapolis-based insurance broker. The suit claims that Laurie Coleman received $75,000 from Hays, without performing legitimate work for the company, and that these payments were an effort by Kazeminy to get money to Norm Coleman.

The senator -- who faces a recount in his reelection race against Democrat Al Franken -- has denied the allegations. And Hays Companies, in a statement issued after the suit was made public, called them "libelous and defamatory."

But are the two on different pages as to the nature of Laurie Coleman's relationship with Hays?

In that statement, Hays declared that Laurie Coleman "has been an Independent Contractor for Hays Companies since 2006," without elaborating as to the nature of her work for Hays.

But on his Senate disclosure forms for 2006 and 2007, Norm Coleman explicitly lists the type of income that his wife received from Hays as "salary" -- which by definition would render Laurie Coleman an employee, rather than an independent contractor.

Of course, Norm Coleman may simply have been imprecise in filling out the disclosure form and used "salary" as shorthand for compensation. But it's a discrepancy that would be worth resolving.

Calls by TPMmuckraker to Norm Coleman's campaign and Senate offices, and to a lawyer for the Hays Companies who has been handling questions on the lawsuit, were not immediately returned.